Method of and apparatus for distributing lubricating-oil under steampressure



1. G.. TALMAGE. METHOD OFND APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING LUBRICATING OILUNDER STEAM PRESSURE.

APPLICTION FILED 1ML24, 1919 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

I. G., TALIVIAGE.

METHOD 0F AND APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING LUBRICATING GIL UNDER STEAMPRESSURElv APPLICATION FILED IAN. Z4, |919.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEErcE.

JOHN G. TALMAGE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

METHOD 0F AND APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING LUBRICATINGr-OIL UNDER STEAM-PRESSURE.

Application led January 24, 1919.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN G. TALMAGE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Methods of andApparatus for Distributing Lubricating- Oil under Steam-Pressure, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description,

`reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention is concerned with the effective lubrication of aplurality of devices subjected to steam pressure, as for example, thecylinder and steam chest of a locomotive. Many existing locomotives havea single pipe leading from the lubricator and branching to the cylinderand steam chest. In such constructions it is difficult to properlydivide the oil between the steam chest and cylinder, because thepressure in the cylinder varies from the boiler pressure to almostnothing while the pressure in the steam chest is frequently nearlyconstant, continuing for long periods at substantially the boilerpressure. I have discovered a very simple method by which thedistribution from a single pipe to the cylinder and steam chest may bemaintained in the desired ratio, irrespective of varying pressures. Bymy method the cylinder and steam chest may receive equal quantities ofoil, or any other proportion desired of the total amount fed. Myinvention includes the method by which 'I accomplish this and also theapparatus which l prefer to employ for carrying out such method. Theinvention is hereinafter more fully explained and its essentialcharacteristics are summarized in the claims. 46 Y In the drawings,Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a locomotive, showing thecylinder, steam chest and lubricating pipes and embodying mydistributing apparatusg Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of thedistributing device; Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are respectively cross sections ofthe distributing device on the correspondingly numbered lines on Fig. 2;Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical section through one of the choke plugsemployed in the apparatus; Fig. 7 is an end view of such plug; Fig. S isa vertical section through a drifting valve which is shown in sideelevation inv Fig. 1 and which may constitute a portion of thelubricating conduit to the steam chest;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

serial No. 272,962.

Figs. 9 and 10 are diagrams explaining the distribution of oil, Fig. 9illustrating a case where half of the oil goes to each of twodistributing passageways and Fig. 10 a case where one distributingpassageway receives three times as much oil as the other.

As shown in Fig. l, A indicates the locomotive cylinder, B a steamchest, C the dry pipe supplying steam to the steam chest, D a driftingvalve communicating with the steam chest, E a steam supply pipe to thedrifting valve leading from the boiler. The drifting valve is providedwith internal arrangements hereinafter described to cause the admissionof steam from the pipe E to the steam chest whenever the pressuretherein drops to a predetermined minimum, the throttle being closed.This drifting valve, however, provides a constantly open oil conduit tothe steam chest, and its particular characteristics form no portion ofthe pres ent invention.

In Figs. 1 and 2, 10 indicates the main lubricating pipe leading fromthe lubricator and adapted to supply oil under boiler pressure. 11indicates my distributing device hereinafter described; 12 a pipe fromthe distributing device to the steam chest, this pipe being coupled withthe top of the drifting valve D, and 13 a pipe from the distributingdevice to the cylinder.

Referring now to Figs. 2 to 7 inclusive. the body of the distributingdevice consists of a Y-shaped member having a central chamber 20, atubular extension 21 communicating therewith and in communication withthe main pipe 10 and two branch tubular extensions 22 and 23communicatingl with the pipes 12 and 13 respectively. Each of thetubular extensions is coupled with its respective pipe by a screwthreaded iiange member, as the flanged nut 24 coupling the 4extension 2lwith the pipe 10, the nut 5 coupling the extensions 22 with the pipe 12,and the nut 26 coupling the extension 23 with the pipe 13.

'Threaded into a reduced central portion of each of the extensions is aplug designated respectively 30, 32 and 38. rlhis plug, in the presentembodiment, is of the general type shown on an enlarged scale in 6. Ithas an enlarged central portion provided with an external thread 35, hasa central bore 36 extending through it Vfrom end to end and variouslateral openings designated 37 leadplug 30. In other words, if the sumof the ing to the central bore. These lateralopenings are for thepurpose of providing extra entrances for oil in case of clogging and maybe disregarded as iar as the operation is concerned.

The plugs 30, 32 and 33 constitute chokes the combined areas oi' thepassageways 3,6Y

through the plugs 32, and33, the oil is distributed in proportion to therelativey areas of these passageways -in the plugs 32 and`33,irrespective of the pressures in the pipes l2 .Y

and 13. By way of illustration, if the passageway 36 in the plugs 32 and33 have equal areas, one-half of the oil fed through the choke plug 30passes to the pipe 12 and one-half to the pipe 13. It the passageway inthe plug 32 has an area twice that of the passageway in the plug 33,twice as much oil will go to the pipe 12 as to the pipe 13, provided thesum of the areas in the passageways oi the two plugs 32 and 33 does not,exceed the area of the passageway in the areas in the two distributingpassageways is no greater-than the area of the main passageway thedistribution of oil is in proportion to the areas of the twodistributing passageways, and this isindependent of the relativepressures in the two distributing pipes, as well as independent of thevelocity ot the fluid.

Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive illustrate a construction where the twopassageways 36 in the plugs 32 and 33 are equal in area, and the sum ofthese areas is equal to the area of the passageway 36 in the main plug30. In the preferred construction, the sum of the areas of the openingsin the two distributing` plugs Vis equal to thearea of the opening inthe main plug, but no harniL results, through a decreased efficiency, ifthe area of the passageway inthe plug 30 is greater than the sum ot theareas. of the passageways in the two distributing plugs. On the otherhand. the desired operation does not result it the area ot thepassageway in the plug 30 is less than the sum of the areas oi the othertwo passageways. v

Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating the distribution of oil where the-sumof the areas of the tive distributing passaafeways is equal to that etthe main passageway and the two distributing passageways areindividually eoual. The legend A24- indicates that the area ot thepassageway in the nlug 30 is four units while the lerrendsAz2 indicatethat the area of each of the distributing passageways is two units. Insuch case whatiiiay be called four units of oil coming through thepassageway 30- is distributed, two'units to the passageway 32 and two tothe passageway 33, as indicated by the two sets of two lines, designatedP2. Fig. 10 illustrates a corresponding construction where the areas ofthe passagew'ays in the plugs 33 and 32 bear thef relation of l to 3.,vas indicated by the legends A=3 and Ar'l'. T he sinn of these areas,

g however, are equal to. thearea kof the passageway in the plug`h30, asindicated by the legend A24. In this case if we assume that v fourunitsof oil passes through the passage*- way in the plug 30, one unit,indicated by the line P, passes to the passageway while threefunits,indicatedby the three lines P3, pass-to the passageway 32.

By the system described, I am able to distribute' to the cylinder andvalve chest exactly the quantitiesk of oil desired, and this isindependent `ot the relative pressures against which the oil is `ied andindependent ofthe boiler pressure feeding the oil.

Experience with the device and method has proven that the result statedis accomplished. The physical laws which cause this result are atpresent unknown to me, as the result is contrary to natural expectationsas to the operation of the apparatus employed. My experience indicates,however, that the result is due to the fact that the lubricating oil isbroken up into globules when passing` through the plug 30. and thatthose globules move through thev distributing chokes at a speed which isindependent of the pressures. The steam which pushes the oil along seemsto move faster through the passageway leading to the pipe having thelower pressure but apparentlyV this steam moves past the globule.

of oil and does not increase its speed of travel. drops of oil occuronly at intervals. steam being inthe intervening spaces, and thepresenttheory of operation is that when such steam'is opposed by a materiallylower pressure of steam it rushes past the globule ot oil which isretarded by its engagement with the wall of the passageway, so thatthisglobule is not increased in speed by an increased velocity of thesteam in the passageway.

I have found that the device operates to In this system of lubricationthe-V a certain extent but not so satisfactorily if l it is standing outof the` vertical position showin From this it wouldv seem that'gravitvis a factor in the distribution. I have further found that the deviceceases to distribute the oil in proportion to the areas if the area ofthe admission passageway isl less than the sum of the other two. Thearea of the admission passageway may be increased bevond the sum of theother two areas provided the admission areaY isfmaintained small enoughtobreak the oil into globules. I indthatiI cangvarythe two dis- Ytributing passageways as'desired and effect" a correspondingdistribution in the quantity of oil Ato the two distributing pipes,provided I do not allow the total areas of the distributing passagewaysto exceed the area of the main passageway.

While my experience indicates that the device and operation may beemployed with various boiler pressures and various quantities of oil andvarious sizes of passageways, provided the proper relative areas aremaintained, it may be noted by way of example that very satisfactoryresults with the most usual conditions in locomotives, namely, twohundred pounds pressure and a lubrication of twelve drops per minute,are obtained, by making the diameter of the passageway in the main chokeplug approximately five sixty-fourths of an inch, and selecting'suchdiameters for the openings in the distributing chokes that the sum oftheir areas shall be equal to the area of a circle live sixty-fourths ofan inch in diameter.

On acount of the small diameters of the choke passageways, there is apossibility of impurities in the oil clogging the passageways, thoughthe high pressure of the steam tends to keep them clean. To provide forthis. I have made a number of lateral passageways 37 in each plug sothat if any become clogged there are others available. The clogging, ifany, naturally occurs adjacent to the entrance of the passageway. Incase of absolute clogging it is only necessary to uncouple the device byunscrewing the nuts 24, 25 and 26 and remove the clogged plug.` Thisremoval is readily effected by applying a wrench to the squared outerend of the plug, such squared end being illustrated in Fig. 7.

As the various plugs differ only in areas of their passageways, it isconvenient, from a manufacturing standpoint, to make them all alike sofar as their exterior is concerned, and drill them with different sizedopenings. As the plug which occupies the main passageway receives theoil at its squared end while the other two plugs receive the oil at theother ends, I make the plugs reversible and adapted to be used eitherend foremost. Accordingly I provide the screw threading on an enlargedintermediate portion of the plug and extend the plug each way from thescrew threading, there being the lateral openings 37, referred to, ineach of these end extensions. The extensions are materially smaller thanthe tubular member they occupy to provide for the entrance of fluid tothe lateral passageways and the discharge of fiuid from suchpassageways.

IVhile the drifting device shown in Figs. 1 and 8 is independent of myinvention, I may explain that, as shown, it is made in accordance withPatent blo/1,188,796, is-v sued to me J une 27, 1916, on an applicationof Frank M. Lickley. As shown in Fig. 8 hereof, and as described in thatpatent, the drifting valve contains a single unitary member 40which-carries a disk valve 41, between an intake member 42 and a chamber43 communicating with the valve chest, and above has a piston 44 ofanarea slightly larger than that of the disk valve, occupyinfr acylindrical portionof the casing, and above this piston has a piston 46occupying an enlarged cylindrical portion of the casing, and being ofconsiderably greater area than a piston 44. The stem connecting the diskvalve and the two pistons has a central bore 47. A cap 48 on the casinghas a passageway 49 for oil through a tubular mem-- ber coupled with thepipe 12. The passageways 49 `and 47 and the top and bottom chambers ofthe drifting device provide a continuous oil conduit from the pipe 12 tothe steam chest. This enables the oil coming through the pipe 12 tolubricate both the drifting valve and the steam chest.

The purpose of the drifting valve is to prevent any vacuum forming inthe steam chest when the locomotive is running with the throttle closed,and this prevention is effected by supplying boiler pressure steam tothe steam chest whenever the pressure therein drops below a certainminimum.

In ordinary running the steam chest pressure acting upwardly through thechamber 43 and the passageway 47 presses downwardly on top of the piston46 and maintains the valve 41 closed. llVhen, however, the pressure inthe steam chest drops to a certain allowable minimum as, for examplefive pounds per square inch) such reduced pressure on the piston 46 isnot suiicient to overcome the force of the boiler pressure through thepipe E acting upwardly on the slight excess of area of the piston 44over` the area of the disk valve 41. Accordingly at such time, thepressure in the pipe E lifts the piston 44 and disk valve and thusallows boiler pressure to enter the passageway 43. This prevents thepressure in the steam chest ever dropping below the zero line, whichobviat-es the bad effect of a negative pressure in the steam chest. Assoon as the pressure in the steam chest is re. stored above a desiredminimum the valve 41 seats and the drifting valve becomes idle. W'hetherthe drifting valve is seated or is active, there is always an openpassagewaj,Y for lubricating oil to the steam chest.

Having thus described my invent-ion, what I claim is:

1. The method of distributing oil under steam pressure to a plurality oflocations through almain conduit and branches, comprising breaking theoil up into globules, then causing it to pass while subject to thepropelling iniluence of' gravity through a' plurality of passageways,the sum of Ythe areas of which .do not exceed the .area loff thepassageway which broke the `oil into glob- 2. l.The method of.distributing oil .under steam pressure to a plurality of locationsthroughfa main `conduit provided with branches, comprising choking thebore of themain conduit suiiiciently to break the oil into globules, andchoking the bores of the branch conduits so-that the :sum .of theirareas does not `exceed the area of the main choke.

Vv3. The method of ldistributing oil under steam pressure'to laplurality of .locations through `a ,main conduit with branches,comprising choking the bore of the main conduit and choking still morethe bores of the branch conduits, so that the vsum of the areas of thevminimum passageways in the branches shall not exceed the area of theminimum passageway in the main conduit.

4:. The method of distributing lubricating oil under steam pressure,comprising pro- ;viding. main and branch conduits hav-ing passageways,the sum of the areas of the branch passageways being no greater than thearea yof the'main passageway, and the passageways being suiiicientlyvertical so that the oil is subject at-least to some extent tothepropelling influence of gravity.

5. An apparatus for distributing lubricant, comprising a main conduitand a plurality lof branch conduits, and choke plugs in the respectiveconduits provided with passageways, the combined areas of thepassageways through the choke plugs of the two distributingconduits'being no greater thanthe area of the passageway through thechoke plugs in the main conduit.

6. An apparatus for distributing oil under steam pressure, comprising aY-connection y:coupled with a main lubricating pipe and two distributingpipes vand choke plugs in the stem and branches of the Y, each having atubular passageway, the ksum ci the areas of the passageways in thebranch choke plugs being not greater than the area of the passageway inthe main choke plug.

7. The system of distributing oil from a common passageway to two branchpassage- 'ways,consisting of providing three passageways withchokes,'the sum of the areas of the openings inthe chokes in the twodistributing passagewaysbeing equal to the area of the opening of thechoke'in the main passageway.

8. The system of d'istributiifig oil from a y,Common passage to aplurality of Abranch passageways in anydesired proportion consisting ofproviding the common passageway Iand the branch passageways with chokes,the sum of the areas ofthe openings inthe chokes `o'the branchipassag'eways being no greater than the area ofthe choke inthe commonpassageway, and the areas of the individual choke openings in suchbranch passageways being mutually proportioned corresponding to therequired .division of oil between them.

.9. The-system [of distributing oil to a plurality of passagewaysindifferent quantities from .a common'lpassagewa consisting of theprovision in thedistributing passageway of chokes the openings of whichhave areas which are individually dierent but the sum of which is notgreater than tl e area of the minimum .opening in the comi imonpassageway.

LO. An Aapparatus :of vthe character described, comprising ya memberhaving a main passageway and -a plurality of branch passageways, andchoke plugs inthe respective passageways, the combined areas of theopenings through the choke plugs of the several distributing passagewaysbeing not greater than the area of the opening through the choke plug inthe main passageway.

l1. An yapparatus for distributing oil,

member having an internal chamber, an admission passageway thereto anddischarge passageways therefrom, choke plugs in ,the respectiveVdischarge passageways vhaving longitudinal openings, and meansforchoking the admission passageway suiiiciently to break the oil intoglobules in its passage to said chamber.

13. In a device ofthe character described, the combination of a Y-shapedmember, having an internal chamber,a tubular passageway leading to suchchamber,two'passage-l ways leading from such member, means for couplingpipes with the three passageways mentioned, a plug screw threaded intoeach.

ci said passageways, said plug having a bore, the sum of the areas ofsuch boresl in the two distributing plugs being not greater than thearea of the bore of the plug in the common portion of the device. 'Y

14. In an apparatus ofthe character described, the combination of aconnection having Vthree tubular arms communicating with an internalchamber, flanged couplings for connecting pipes with the three arms,each arm having an internalthread, a plug ,screwing into said thread,said plug having longitudinal passageway, thecareakof the passageways ofthe plugs in the two branch arms being no greater than the area of thepassageway of the plug in the main arm.

l5. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of aconnection having three tubular arms communicating with an internalchamber, each arm having an internal thread, a plug screwing into saidthread, said plug having longitudinal passageways, the area of thepassageway of the plugs in each or" the branch arms being less than thearea of the passageway of the plug in the main arm, each plug having athreaded portion which engages the arin and an angular extension.

16. In an apparatus of the character' dcscribed, the combination oi aconnection having three tubular arms communicating with an internalchamber, each arm having an internal thread, a plug in each arm screwinginto said thread, each plug having a longitudinal bore, and lateralpassageways extending through its body into the bore thereof.

17. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of amember having a plurality of tubular conduits communicating with aninternal chamber, a plug screwing into each of said conduits, each ofsaid plugs having a longitudinal bore, each plug having an intermediatethreaded portion and two sets of openings extending through its bodyinto the bore thereof, said sets being at the opposite ends of the plugrespectively.

18. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of adevice having tubular arms communicating with an internal chamber, eacharm having a portion which is internally threaded, a plug externallythreaded and screwing into the thread of the arm, said plug having alongitudinal extension within the arm beyond the screwing thread, alongitudinal opening through the plug, a lateral opening in the body ofthe plug communicating with the longitudinal opening and located at saidinward extension of the plug, there being an annular space surroundingsaid extension of the plug within the arm carrying it.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

JOHN G. TALMAGE.

